Permission to be unpretty
People often say that women are under intolerable pressure to worry about their appearance. Well guess what – this is yet another reason to love martial arts training . . .
Should You Treat Women as Flowers or Warriors?
“I always say pain is the best teacher”, he grinned, as he twisted and compressed my wrist a little more. I laughed too. Although it hurt, he was kind and fully in control; and not inflicting anything dangerous or intolerable.
But after class, my female friend said: “This is such great training. Nothing ever hurts here! This is how martial arts should be.”
What was going on . . . ?
What is Inclusive Masculinity?
A graphic showing how masculinity is changing in the Western world . . .
Do some women learn martial arts differently to some men?
Do we sometimes unconsciously valorise more “masculine” ways of learning in the dojo – without even realising it . . . ?
The Art of the Guarded Heart
Kamae (engagement stance in the Japanese martial arts) is not only for fighting; and when used mindfully, a guarded heart is not necessarily the bad thing people often believe it to be . . .
Why I’m not inspired by female warriors – despite loving martial arts
A friend has sent me a three-minute video called Women Were Some of the Fiercest Samurai Warriors Ever. It’s about a woman called Takeko Nakano who led an army of women to fight in the Boshin War (Japanese Revolution).
He thinks he’s sent me an exciting, inspirational and glorious story about women’s empowerment, which I will love as a female martial arts practitioner […]
Ten ways that “real” martial arts training can be more empowering than a “Martial Arts Inspired” workout
[Photo credit: IMG_2415 by John Roberts via Flickr]. This post is dedicated to a friend of mine who runs his own dojo. He expressed frustration at the number of people who choose to take “Martial Arts Inspired” workouts, when they could be getting much deeper benefits from “real” martial arts training (at his dojo of course!) . . .
The Attraction of Violence
Some uneasy issues came up in conversation. Why can fighting and machismo transfix even a cultured and sensitive man . . . ?
A morning with Mara Yamauchi – Part Two – Ways to engage more women in sport
Some notes I made from a recent event for local female sports coaches. Topics covered include: Competition and self-esteem; Technology – help or hindrance?; Technology and gender . . . ?; Supporting women from minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds; The support of men
Why do Friends Give Each Other a Hard Time?
What’s really going on when guys torment each other in the name of friendship? I was concerned that some of the guys in my dojo were bullying a younger student – until I asked him about it, and learned that he actually saw it in a completely different light . . .